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Oscar Piastri says he was able to ignore the ‘World War 3’ narrative around McLaren last season as he fought Lando Norris for the world championship.
Piastri and Norris were extremely close throughout the 2025 season, never separated by more than 34 points. The British driver eventually outscored his teammate by 13 as he won the title.
Somewhat inevitably, McLaren’s policy of having two ‘number one’ drivers led to controversy. The team repeatedly stated that they wanted to give both drivers an equal shot at the championship, but it was difficult to maintain parity in practice.
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Piastri faced some ‘challenging questions’ about whether McLaren were favouring Norris in the title fight, accidentally or otherwise. This wasn’t just a social media conspiracy theory – it was also a rumour that spread through the paddock.
But Piastri says he never let that talk shake his confidence in the team. While ‘tough conversations’ did take place, he was determined to keep them private.
McLaren have made tweaks to their ‘papaya rules’ for 2026 while maintaining their overarching philosophy. With Piastri failing to start two of the first three races, their drivers haven’t yet been in direct competition.
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“The media is a massive part of F1, whether you want it to be or not,” Piastri told Quad Lock. “There have definitely been some challenging questions, some challenging interviews and challenging times.
“For me, it’s pretty easy to dissociate what narrative the media are trying to push versus what’s exactly happening. There have been some tough moments behind closed doors this year – it’s not been as catastrophic or World War 3 as some of the media like to portray it.
“It’s something that’s tough for everyone to deal with. That’s where trying to represent the team and in some ways balance your own interest versus the team interest is a really important thing. A lot of those tough conversations, you want them to stay private.”
Oscar Piastri has protected McLaren when many other drivers wouldn’t
Piastri is an elite-level driver, but he’s also an enormous asset to McLaren from a PR perspective.
In one poll, Piastri was voted the most popular driver in F1. He’s certainly one of the least polarising figures on the grid.
Most importantly, he’s willing to defend the team and defuse any potential scandals, even when his own results have been compromised.
One suspects that many other drivers, if not the majority of the grid, would have publicly criticised McLaren had they been in Piastri’s cockpit in Italy or Singapore last year.
But Piastri has realised the importance of keeping the team united and on side, showcasing a level-headed approach that will serve him well throughout his career.
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